Cotton-press.



No. 698:043. Patented Apr.g22,n9oz,

' s. M. NEELY. V H

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(Application led Dec, 21, 1901.,` v (NpModel.) 4 Sheets-Shogi l.

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m. 698,043. Patented Apr. 22, |902.

s. m. NEELY. COTTON PRESS.

(Appucatio med Dec. 21, 1901.) n (No Model.) v l 4 Sheets-Sheet A2.

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Hdzsses f No. 693,043. i

. s. M. NEELY.

"mnToN PRESS.

. (Application md Dec. 21, 1901.) (No Model.; 4`sheefssheet 4..

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or banding of the bale.

UNITED STATES SAMUEL M. NEELYJOF CHESTER, SOUTH CAROLINA.

COTTON-PRESS.

SPECIFECATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 698,043, dated `April 22, 1902.

l Application led December 21,1901. Serial No. 86.811. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL M. NEELY, a"

citizen of the United States, residing at Chester, in the county of Chester and State of South Carolina, have invented a new and useful Cotton-Press, of which the following is a speciication.

Myinvention is an improved press adapted for baling cotton, hay, or other material; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is aside elevation of my improved press. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the reverse side of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the same, taken on a plane indicated by the line a a of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the upper portion of the press, showing the connections for operating the tramper. Fig.- 6 is a detail sectional view of the press-box, showing the same removed from theoscillating frame and showing the dogs which retain the bat in position therein prior to the tying Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of one set of the feeding-jaws which cooperate with the nfeed-rollers.

In the embodiment of my invention here shown I provide a vertical frame 1, at the u pper end of which is a condenser 2 for forming cotton-bat. Withinthe scope of my invention the condenser may be of any suitable construction. It is here shown as including a pair of endless traveling condensing belts or aprons 3, which are driven and supported by rollers 4 5.. The rollers 4 have their shafts provided at one end, on one side of the frame 1, with spur-wheels 6, which engageeach other, and the shafts of the said rollers are journaled in bearings in side plates 7, with which the frame 1 is provided. Guideplates 8 have their outer upper ends supported in the frame 1, and the lower portions of the said guide-plates, which are resilient and tend to spring upwardly, bear under the lower rollers 4 of the condenser and bear against the condensing belts or aprons and are so disposed as to guide the bat downwardly from the throat of the condenser or space between the lower densing-belts 3. t Y

A pair of feed-rollers 9 have` their shafts portions of the convjournaled in bearings in the plates 7, and the said feed-rollers are disposed close together and are respectively disposed below the condensing-rollers 4. The said feed-rollers are provided with annular grooves 10 of suitable depth, which grooves are here `'shown as extending from .the feed-roller shafts to the peripheries of the feed-rollers. The latter are also provided with peripheral spurs 11, which are somewhat blunt. The shafts ofthe feedrollers 9 are each provided at one end with a spur-gear 12. The said spur-gears mesh with each other, and hence the said feedrollers are adapted to simultaneously rotate in opposite directions. the feed-rollers is further provided on its opposite end with a spur-wheel 13, whichengages a spur-gear 14 on a counter-shaft 15, which is disposedtransversely of the frame 1 and is journaled in bearings in the side plates 7. Said spur-gear 14 engages one of the spurgears 6 of the condenser mechanism,and hence power is communicated thereto from the counter-shaft. The latter is provided at the end opposite the gear 14 with a worm-wheel 16, which has a crank-pin 1'7, projecting from the outer side thereof. At the opposite end of the counter-shaft 15 isa crank-arm 13, which has a crank-pin 17 a. An oscillating frame 19 has its lower end pivotally connected to the frame 1, as at 20. Said oscillating frame is provided on opposite sides with upwardly-projecting arms 21, to which are pivotally-connected links 22, which links are respectively connected to the crank-pins 17 17a. Hence oscillating motion is imparted to the frame 19, which carries the press-box or baling-chamber hereinafter described.

A power-shaft 23 is journaled in bearings 24 on one side of the frame 1, said bearings The shaft of one of l 24 being here shown as disposed on the outer 95 side of one of the plates 7. Said power-shaft has a pulley 25 at its outer end, whereby it may be driven, a crank 26 at its inner end, and is provided further with a worm 27 ,which engages the worm-wheel 16. Hence power is IOO communicated from the power-shaft to the counter-shaft 15 and from the latter to the condenser, the feed-rollers, and the oscillating frame.

An oscillating tramper 28 is pivotally connected at its outer end to one side of the frame 1, as at 29 in Fig. 3. At the innerend of the said tramper is a tramper head 30, which is disposed for operation in the space between the feed-rollers and the condenser, and, in coaction with the guide plates 8, causes the bat to be fed from the condenser between the feed-rollers, so that the bat is caught by the feed-rollers and by the rotation of the latter forced into the press-box or baling-chamber carried by the oscillating frame. A standard 31 rises from one of the side plates of the press. An oscillating lever 32 is fulcrumed to the said standard. The inner end of said oscillating lever is connected to the tramper by a link-bar 33, and the outer end thereof is connected by a pit-man 34 to the pin ofthe crank 26 on the power-shaft. Hence the tramper is caused to operate when the press is in operation, as will be understood.

The upper end of the oscillating frame 19, which is the mouth thereof, is open. Across the same, near opposite sides of the oscillating frame, are rock-shafts 35, which are journaled in bearings in the sides 36 of said oscillating frame. Oscillating feed-jaws 37 are mounted on the shafts 35 and are adapted to oscillate, and the said feed-jaws are provided with eccentrically-disposed camslots 3S. The said feed-jaws have their inner sides disposed in the annular grooves of the feed-rollers 9 and their cam-slots 3S engaged by the shafts which form the central portions of said feed-rollers, and hence the oscillating motion of the frame 19,which carries the feed-jaws, causes the latter lo oscillate, as will be understood. The opposing sides of the oscillating feed-jaws are curved reversely and are provided with serrations 39, which adapt the said feed-jaws to grasp a bat as it passes downwardly between the feed-rollers and to force the bat downwardly into the press box or chamber carried by the oscillating frame. Any suitable number of the feed-jaws may be employed, and those on opposite sides of the oscillating frame are respectively connected together by bolts 40 or other suitable connecting devices.

The press-box or baling-chamber 41 may, within the scope of my invention, be of any suitable construction. The sides of the oscillating frame 19 are of open construction, so that the press-box may be readily placed in the oscillating frame and removed therefrom. Any suitable means may within the scope ot' my invention be employed to secure the press-box in the oscillating frame. ln practice I employ two'orinore press-boxes in connection with the press, so that cot-tonbat may be compressed in one press-box to form a bale therein while a press-box in "dit which a bale has been prcviouslyformed is removed from the oscillating frame to be bound and removed from the press-box, hence enabling the press to operate almost continuously. In the embodiment of myinvention here shown the oscillating frame 19 is provided in opposite sides with transverselydisposed spring-catches 42. The press-box is provided on opposite sides with lock-plates 43, which may be engaged by said springcatches 42 to secure the press-box in the oscillating frame. The ends ot' the press-box are open and the upper end thereof is inserted between the side plates 36 at the mouth of the oscillating frame. In connection with the oscillating frame and the press-box I provide a suitable pressure mechanism, such as is indicated at 44, and which has a piston or head 45, that is adapted to operate in the press-box. The said pressure mechanism also tends to maintain the press-box in its operative position in the oscillating frame. The press-box has removable oppositely-disposed sides 46,which are secured between the sides 47 of the press-box by hooks 48, which are pivoted on said sides 47 and are adapted to engage studs 49,that project from the sides 46.

To facilitate the placing of a press-boxin the oscillating frame and its removal therefrom, I provide a rocking bar 50. The same is at its lower end pivoted, as at 5l, to a head 52, which is pivoted on a bracket or support 53 at one side of the base of frame 1. Tho respective pivotal axes of the head 52 are at right angles to each other, so that the bar 50 is adapted for universal rocking movement. One side of the press-box is provided with keepers 54, and the said rocking bar 50 is adapted to be engaged with and passed through the said keepers. When the press is in operation, the rocking bar 50 oscillates with the frame 19 and the press-box carried thereby. In order to disengage the press-box f rom the rocking frame 10 after the press-box has been lled by the operation of the press with compressed layers of cotton-bat, the operation of the press having been discontinued, the piston or head of the Huid-pressure mechanism is withdrawn from the pressbox, thereby permitting the latter to be lowered in the oscillating frame until its upper end is disengaged from the mouth thereof, the spring-catches 42 are caused to disengage the lock-plates 43, and the press-box is then swung laterally outwardly from and out of the oscillating frame on `the rocking bar 50 and is withdrawn longitudinally from said rocking bar, when another press-box is placed on said rocking bar and secured in operative position in the oscillating frame.

It will be understood that the oscillating movement of the press-box in the oscillating frame transversely with reference to the feedrollers causes the bat fed by the said rollers and the oscillating feed-jaws into the pressbox to be disposed in superincumbent layers ICO IIO

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therein against the pressure of the fluid-pressure mechanism. Hence the bales may be formed of any desired density in the pressboxes by regulating the pressure of the ijluid in the duid-pressure mechanism. j

In connection with the press-box-I employ a pair of dogs 55 on each of two opposite\ sides of the press-box, which dogs are preferably of the form shown in Fig. 6 and have the hooked portionsG disposed to lie partially across the ends of the press-box to retain the compressed bale therein when the press-box is removed from the press and prior to the tying or banding of the bale.

I do not desire to limit myself to the precise construction and combination of devices herein shown and described, as it is evident that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention. l

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. In a press of the class described, the combination of a pair of feed-rollers in fixed bearings, a press-box having its mouth disposed opposite the feed-rollers and movable to and fro across the same and oscillating feed-jaws, coacting with the feed-rollers, to force a bat 'into the press-box, substantially as described.

2. In a baling-press of the class described,` the combination of feed-rollers, a press-box, said feed-rollers and press-box being movable the one with reference to the other, and oscillating feed-jaws coacting with the feedrollers to force a bat from between the feedrollers into the press-box, substantially as described.

3. In a press ofthe class described, the combination of a pair of feed-rollers, apress-box having its mouth disposed opposite the feedrollers and oscillating feed-jaws coactin g with the feed-rollers to force a bat from between the feed-rollers into the press-box, the said oscillating feed -jaws having serrations on their bat-engaging sides, substantially as described.

4. The combination of feed-rollers in iixed bearings, a press-box having its mouth disposed and movable to and fro acrossthe feedrollers and opposite the same, and oscillating feed-jaws carried with the press-box, said feed-jaws and said feed-rollers having coacting means whereby said feed-jaws are oscillated by the movement of the press-box, substantially as described.

5. The combination of feed-rollers in xed bearings, a press-box having its month disposed-opposite the feed-rollers and movable to and 4fro across the same, and oscillating feed-jaws carried with the press-box, said feed-jaws having cam-slots eccentricof their pivots and.- engaged by the said feed-rollers whereby oscillating motion is imparted to the feed-jaws, substantially as described.

6. The combination of feed-rollers in fixed bearings and ha ving annular grooves, a pressbox having its mouth disposed opposite the feed-rollers and movable to and fro across thesame and oscillating feed-jaws carried with the press-box, said feed-jaws engaging' and operating in said annulargrooves of the feed-rollers and having cam-slots engaged by the central portions of the said feed-rollers,

whereby oscillating motion is imparted to the ing frame, and an oscillating bar movable with f and also movablellaterally with relation to said oscillating frame, said oscillatin g bar and said detachable4 press-box' having coacting means whereby the press-box is detachably connected to said oscillating bar, substantially as described. y 1 l 8'. In a baling-press of the class described, the combination of anV oscillating pressbox frame, feed-rollers in fixed bearings and disposed opposite the mouth of the press-box,

gears connecting said feed-rollers together, a crank-shaft having a gear engaging, one of the gears of the feed-rollers, and a connection between said crank-shaft and the oscillating press-box frame, whereby'the latter is oscillated, ysubstantially as described;

9. yIn a baling-press of the class described,

the combination of an oscillating press-box frame, feed-rollers in fixed bearings and disposed opposite thelmouth of the press-box, gears connecting said feed-rollers together, a

crank-shaft having a gear engaging one of the gears of the feed-rollers, a connection between said crank-shaft and the oscillating press-box frame, whereby the latter is .oscillated, an oscillating tramper to coact withthe IOS feed-rollers,a power-shaft geared to the cranky shaft, and connections between said powershaft and said tramper, whereby the latter is operated by the former, substantially as described.

IIO

10. In a baling-press of the class described, l

the combination of an oscillating press-box frame, feed-rollers in fixed bearings and disposed opposite the mouth ofthe press-box, gears connecting said feed-rollers together, a crank-shaft having a gear engaging oneof the gears of the feed-rollers, a connection between said crank-shaft and the oscillating press-box frame, whereby thelatter is oscillated, an oscillating tramper coactingwith the feed-rollers, a power-shaft geared .to the crank-shaft and having a, crank, a lever-bar, a link connecting the latter to the oscillating tramper, and a pitman connecting said levery bar to the crank of the power-shaft, substantially as described.,

, 11. In combination with a press-boxand revoluble feed-rollers disposed opposite each otherto feed a bat into the press-box, auxiliarybat-engaging feeding elements having curved opposing sides of greater radius than l In testimony that I claim the foregoing as the fecd-ro11ers, substantially coincident with I my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the opposing sides of the feed-rollers and cathe presence of two witnesses.

pable of revoiuble motion so that their oppos- SAMUEL M. NEELY. ing sides move with the opposing sides of the Titnessesz feed-rollers toward the press-box, substan- W. S. SMITH,

tiaiiy as described. J. C. CARSON. 

